Dispensing carton

ABSTRACT

A dispensing carton includes a dispensing opening suitable for dispensing relatively thin articles, and a viewing feature for determining the number of articles remaining in the carton.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/752,565, filed Dec. 21, 2005, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Individually wrapped food articles, such as cheese singles, aretypically sold as a pack of stacked articles enclosed within a sealedplastic bag-type package. Once opened, the sealed bag may tear and beineffective as a dispensing vessel. If the stacked food articles areremoved from the opened bag, they may separate from one another and/orbecome scattered. Also, if different packs of cheese have been opened,it may be difficult to determine which slices are newer and shouldtherefore be consumed first.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the invention, a dispensing carton issuitable for dispensing generally thin, flat articles having rectangularplan shapes (i.e., when viewed from the top while lying flat). In oneembodiment, the dispensing carton may be used as, for example, acontainment/single-serve vessel for a stack of over-wrapped individualslices of cheese. Once a consumer opens a pack of over-wrapped cheesesingles or other articles, he may load the stack of slices into theopened top of the dispensing carton. The dispensing carton may include atear-away opening feature along a bottom portion of a front panel of thedispensing carton. When removed, the opening feature allows articles tobe dispensed through the resulting dispenser opening, with thebottommost article or articles in the stack being dispensable first.During dispensing, gravity forces each next higher article or articlesin the article stack down to the dispensing position.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the dispensing carton maybe, for example, reusable, and may be repeatedly reloaded withreplacement articles. The dispensing carton and the articles containedwithin the carton may be, for example, refrigerated or otherwise storedonce loaded.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the dispensing carton mayinclude a viewing window or aperture located in one or more of thecarton panels. The viewing aperture allows a user to visually ascertainthe number of articles remaining in the carton without having to openthe carton.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, perishable articles maybe loaded into the dispensing carton so that older articles are in aposition to be dispensed before newer articles.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, numerical and/or othervisual indicia may be included adjacent to or along the viewing apertureto indicate the number of articles remaining in the carton.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages andother advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments readingthe following detailed description of the embodiments with reference tothe below-listed drawing figures. It is within the scope of the presentinvention that the above-discussed aspects be provided both individuallyand in various combinations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

According to common practice, the various features of the drawingsdiscussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions ofvarious features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reducedto more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a dispensing cartonaccording to a first embodiment of the invention may be formed.

FIG. 2 illustrates the dispensing carton according to the firstembodiment in a partially erected state.

FIG. 3 illustrates the dispensing carton in a partially erected state.

FIG. 4 illustrates the dispensing carton in a loading configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates an article being dispensed from the dispensingcarton.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the dispensing carton.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank 8 used to form a dispensing carton 150(illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6) according to a first embodiment of theinvention. The blank 8 comprises a back panel 10 foldably connected to atop panel 20 at a first longitudinal fold line 21, a first base panel 30foldably connected to the back panel 10 at a second longitudinal foldline 31, a first, false bottom panel 40 foldably connected to the firstbase panel 30 at a third longitudinal fold line 41, a first side panel50 foldably connected to the back panel 10 at a first transverse foldline 51, a front panel 60 foldably connected to the first side panel 50at a second transverse fold line 61, a second bottom panel 70 foldablyconnected to the front panel 60 at a fourth longitudinal fold line 71,and a second side panel 80 foldably connected to the front panel 60 at athird transverse fold line 81. An adhesive flap 12 may be foldablyconnected to the back panel 10 at a fourth transverse fold line 11.Second, third, and fourth base panels 42, 44, 46 may be foldablyconnected at the exterior edges of the first bottom panel 40.

The top panel 20 is foldably connected to a top tuck flap 22. The firstside panel 50 is foldably connected to a first side top flap 52 and afirst side bottom flap 54. The second bottom panel 70 is foldablyconnected to a second side bottom tuck flap 72. The second side panel 80is foldably connected to a second side top flap 82 and a second sidebottom flap 84.

The blank 8 includes a dispenser pattern 100 that defines a dispenser125 in the erected dispensing carton 150 (illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6).The dispenser pattern 100 is formed from a plurality of breachable linesof disruption in the blank 8. The pattern 100 comprises two oblique tearlines 102 that converge toward each other at a center portion of thefront panel 60. The oblique tear lines 102 may form an inverted generalV-shape. A nick 108 may be left between the oblique tear lines 102 atthe apex of the V. Two longitudinally extending tear lines 104 mayextend through the front panel 60 inwardly from points adjacent to thelower ends of the oblique tear lines 102. A curved access tear line 106extends between the interior ends of the longitudinal tear lines 104 toprovide an access point in the dispenser pattern 100. Transverse orvertical breachable lines 105 can extend between the outer ends of theoblique tear lines 102 and the outer ends of the longitudinal tear lines104. The lines 102, 104, 105, 106 define a removable dispenser panel 110in the front panel 60.

The height H_(O) of the dispenser panel 110, and therefore the height ofthe resulting dispenser opening 130 (illustrated in FIGS. 4-6) in thecarton 150, at the opposite ends of the panel 110, is defined by thevertical breachable lines 105. The height H_(O) may be selected to allowa predetermined number of articles to be dispensed through the dispenseropening 130. The height H_(A) (illustrated in FIG. 6) is the height ofthe panel 110 at the apex of the inverted V. H_(D) is the height of thebottom edges 104 of the dispenser opening 130 above the bottom edge ofthe carton 150, and W_(D) is the width of the panel 110.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a curved access aperture 48 may be formed toextend through the first bottom panel 40 and through the base panel 46.The contour of the access aperture 48 in the base panel 46 may generallyconform to the contour of the curved access line 106 in the front panel60. As discussed in further detail below, the access line 106 and theaccess aperture 48 may generally align to provide access to a bottomsurface of the bottommost article A in an article stack in the erectedcarton 150. In the illustrated embodiment, the access aperture 48 andthe access line 106 have circular curvatures, although other forms ofcurvature and/or straight contours may also be used. The access aperture48 is illustrated as a cutout section of the blank 8. The accessaperture 48 may also be formed, for example, as a knockout section ofthe blank 8 that is intended to be knocked out before or during use ofthe carton 150.

An elongated vertically extending viewing feature 120 may be formed inthe second side panel 80. The viewing feature 120 can extendtransversely in the blank 8 along the second side panel 80, and willhave a vertical orientation in the erected carton 150 (illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5). The viewing feature 120 can be formed, for example, bycutting and removing the section illustrated in FIG. 1 from the blank 8during forming of the blank 8 in order to create a window aperture.Alternatively, the viewing feature 120 can be initially defined by abreachable pattern of disruption extending around the window perimetershown in FIG. 1, with the panel defined by the breachable perimeterbeing removable before, during or after erection of the carton 150. Aviewing panel may also remain in place in the carton 150 and may beremoved prior to loading the carton with articles or at some other time.

The lines 102, 104, 105, 106 forming the dispenser pattern 100 can beformed from, for example, continuous or substantially continuous tearlines formed by, for example, scores, creases, cuts, gaps, cut/creases,perforations, offset cuts, and combinations thereof. If cuts are used toform the breachable lines 102, 104, 105, 106, the cuts may be, forexample, interrupted by breachable nicks. The cuts shown in FIG. 1 areillustrated as 100% cuts, which extend through the entire thickness ofthe blank 8. Partial cuts, which do not extend through the entirethickness of the blank 8, for example, may also be used.

As an alternative to breachable lines of disruption 102, 104, 105, 106forming a removable dispenser panel 110 in the panel 60, the section ofthe blank 8 defined by the lines 102, 104, 105, 106 may instead be aremoved section of the blank, with an aperture being formed at thelocation of the panel 110.

An exemplary method of erection of the blank 8 into the dispensingcarton 150 will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-5. In FIGS.2-5, the removable dispenser panel 110 has been removed prior toerecting the carton 150. The dispenser panel 110, if present, may beremoved at any time during or after erection of the carton 150.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispensing carton 150 may be erectedfrom the blank 8 by gluing or otherwise adhering the adhesive flap 12 tothe inner side of the second side panel 80 so that the back panel 40,the first side panel 50, the front panel 60, and the second side panel80 may be opened or set up to form a generally tubular sleeve as shownin FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the panels 30, 40, 42, 44, 46 are thenfolded so that the first bottom panel 40 is spaced from the bottom edgeof the tubular sleeve a distance defined by the height of the basepanels 30, 42, 44, 46. The first bottom panel 40 is therefore a “false”bottom panel. The bottom flaps 54, 84 may then be folded inwardly andtucked into the interior of the carton. The second bottom panel 70 maythen be folded to cover the bottom of the carton and secured in place bythe bottom tuck flap 72.

The carton 150 now has the configuration shown in FIG. 4, with thedispenser 125 formed in the front panel 60 from the dispenser pattern100. To close the top of the carton 150, the top flaps 52, 82 are foldedover to partially cover the open top of the carton 150, and the toppanel 20 is folded over the flaps 52, 82 and secured in place by the toptuck flap 22, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The carton 150 can, forexample, be initially loaded with articles A that are generally thin,flat, and having rectangular plan areas before closing the top panel 20.In FIG. 4, the carton 150 is illustrated as accommodating a stack ofslices of individually wrapped cheese singles A. Alternatively, thecarton 150 can be sold empty, as a flat blank, or as a partially erected(e.g., glued) blank. Removing the dispenser panel 110, if present,leaves a dispenser opening 130 in the front panel 60 of the carton 150through which the articles A can be dispensed. The articles A can bewithdrawn through the opening 130 in the direction of the arrow 126.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the carton 150 with the top of the cartonclosed and the carton in a dispensing configuration. The dispenseropening 130 can be configured such that articles A may be removed, forexample, one at a time, through the dispenser opening 130. The dispenseropening 130 may have a shape that reaches its maximum width W_(D) at thebottom of the dispenser opening. The height H_(O) of the verticallyextending cuts 105 defining the side edges or ends of the dispenseropening 130 can be, for example, selected to generally conform, orslightly exceed, the expected thickness of an article A or group ofarticles A to be dispensed from the dispensing carton 150. The V-shapedcontour of the top of the dispenser opening 130 accordingly allows thebottommost article A in the stack of articles to be dispensed, whilerestraining the next higher article A in the stack from being dispensed.The height H_(O) of the side edges of dispenser opening 130 at thevertically extending cuts 105 may be varied, for example, so that two,three, or more articles A at a time can be withdrawn from the articlestack through the dispenser opening 130. For example, the height H_(O)of the side edges of dispenser opening 130 can be less than five timesthe thickness of the articles A accommodated in the carton 150. Inanother embodiment, the height H_(O) can be less than three times thethickness of an article A. The height H_(A) of the central portion ofthe dispenser opening 130 can be, for example, at least eight times thethickness of the articles A.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the height of the panels 30, 42, 44, 46, andthus the height of the false bottom panel 40, may generally correspondto the height H_(D) of the bottom edges 104 of the dispenser opening130. The height of the first bottom panel 40 may be generally alignedwith the bottom edge of the dispenser opening 130 so that the lowestarticle A in the stack of articles is at or approximately at the sameheight as the bottom edge of the dispenser opening 130. The bottomarticle A in the article stack can therefore be slid over the firstbottom panel 40 and pulled out through the dispenser opening 130.

Referring to FIG. 6, to remove an article A from the carton 150, a userreaches through the curved opening in the front panel 60 formed at theaccess line 106 when removing the dispenser panel 110. The accessaperture 48 formed in the base panel 46 and in the first bottom panel 40(FIG. 1) aligns with the line 106 so that the underside of a bottommostarticle A can be grasped through the dispenser opening 130. At the sametime, the user can reach through the central portion of the invertedtriangular-shaped dispenser opening 130 and pull along the top of thebottom article A in the article stack. The article A can thereafter bepulled out of the carton 150 through the dispenser opening 130. Afterremoving the bottom article A, the next higher article A in the stackdrops to the first bottom panel 40 into a dispensing position. Ifdesired, a selected number of articles A may be dispensed from theopening as a group.

When the dispensing carton 150 is empty or near empty, the user mayobtain additional articles A and load them into the carton 150 byopening the top panel 20. The viewing feature 120 in the second sidepanel 80 allows a user to easily determine the number of articles Aremaining in the carton 150 without opening the carton 150. Therefore,additional articles A can be obtained, for example, before thedispensing carton 150 is fully empty. The viewing feature 120 may extendvertically along substantially the entire height of the side panel 80 sothat the entire stack of articles A is visible from the carton exterior.

If the articles A to be loaded in the dispensing carton 150 areindividual slices of cheese, the cheese slices may be fanned out orotherwise separated before loading into the carton 150. Separating thecheese slices reduces adhesion between the slices and allows thearticles A to be more easily dispensed through the dispenser opening130.

The dispensing carton 150 may, for example, be kept refrigerated onceloaded, and is reusable in that articles A can be repeatedly dispensedfrom and reloaded into the carton. The dispensing carton 150 may be, forexample, of a size suitable to be hand-held and/or sized to fit inconventional refrigerator accommodations such as dairy compartments,door shelves, racks, and other compartments.

If the articles A to be placed in the carton are of a relatively uniformthickness, numerical or other forms of indicia may, for example, beincluded along or adjacent to the viewing feature 120. The indicia maybe selected to indicate an exact or approximate number of articlesremaining in the carton 150 so that the user need not count individualarticles A through the viewing aperture 120. More general indiciaindicating the state of the supply of articles A, such as indiciaindicating “full,” and “near empty” may also be included with theviewing feature.

If articles A from different batches (e.g., articles of different age orpreferred use date) of perishable products are to be loaded into thecarton 150, the user may elect to place the oldest articles A in thecarton 150 first, with newer articles A being arranged higher in thearticle stack. The older articles A are therefore consumed before thenewer articles.

EXAMPLE

A carton 150 was constructed from a blank 8 as illustrated in FIG. 1.The width W_(D) at the bottom of the dispenser opening 130 was 3.437inches. The height H_(O) of the vertically extending cuts 105 definingthe side edges of the dispenser opening 130 was 0.125 inch. The panels10, 50, 60 were 3.437 inches wide. The panel 80 was 3.406 inches wide.The height HA of the central portion of the dispenser opening 130 was0.739 inch.

In this specification the terms “V-shaped” and “triangular” indicateprofiles defined by two lines that need not be perfectly straight.Further, the two lines forming the V shape need not actually meet at thevertex of the “V”.

For purposes of illustration, the present invention is generallydisclosed in the context of paperboard dispensing cartons or packagessized and dimensioned to contain and dispense individual cheese sliceshaving rectangular plan areas. The present invention would, however,work according to the principles discussed above if sized and/or shapedto hold alternative articles such as, for example, individual sheets ofpaper or paperboard, relatively flat plates, diskettes, compact discs,DVDs, and other generally thin, flat articles.

One of ordinary skill will recognize that dispensers and/or viewingfeatures according to the present invention can be disposed in the back,in the front, and/or in both or either of the side panels of the carton.Further, the term “front” is used only in its capacity to describe thepanel including the dispensing feature, and not to describe anyparticular preferred orientation of the carton during use or duringstorage, display, etc.

In accordance with the above-described embodiments, the blank may beconstructed of paperboard of a caliper such that it is heavier and morerigid than ordinary paper. The blank can also be constructed of othermaterials, such as cardboard, hard paper, or any other material havingproperties suitable for enabling the dispenser and viewing feature tofunction at least generally as described above. The blank can also belaminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selectedpanels or panel sections.

The blank according to the present invention can be, for example, formedfrom coated paperboard and similar materials. For example, the interiorand/or exterior sides of the blank can be coated with a clay coating.The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising,price coding, and other information or images. The blank may then becoated with a varnish to protect any information printed on the blanks.The blank may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrierlayer, on either or both sides of the blanks.

In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, afold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarilystraight, form of disruption or weakening in the blank 8 thatfacilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for thepurpose of narrowing the scope of the present invention, examples offold lines include: score lines; crease lines; a cut or a series of cutsthat extend partially into and/or completely through the material alonga desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features.

In the present specification, a “panel” or “flap” need not be flat orotherwise planar. A “panel” or “flap” can, for example, comprise aplurality of interconnected generally flat or planar sections.

For purposes of the description presented herein, the term “line ofdisruption” can be used to generally refer to, for example, a cut line,a score line, a crease line, a tear line, or a fold line (orcombinations thereof) formed in a blank. A “breachable” line ofdisruption is a line of disruption that is intended to be breachedduring ordinary use of the carton. An example of a breachable line ofdisruption is a tear line.

The above embodiments may be described as having one or panels adheredtogether by glue during erection of the dispensing carton embodiments.The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesivescommonly used to secure dispensing carton panels in place.

The description is not intended to limit the invention to the formdisclosed herein. Also, it is intended that the appended claims beconstrued to include alternative embodiments, not explicitly defined inthe detailed description.

1. A dispensing carton and a plurality of stacked articles accommodatedin the carton, comprising: a front panel; a first side panel; a secondside panel; a back panel; at least one bottom panel; and a dispenseropening formed at least in the front panel, the dispenser opening havinga height along a bottom edge of the dispenser opening selected to allowa predetermined number of articles from the stack to be pulled throughthe dispenser opening.
 2. The carton and plurality of stacked articlesof claim 1, wherein the dispenser opening has a height at at least oneend edge that is less than a height of the dispenser opening at acentral portion of the dispenser opening.
 3. The carton and plurality ofstacked articles of claim 2, wherein the central portion of thedispenser opening is defined in part by two converging oblique lines. 4.The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 2, wherein thedispenser opening is defined in part by an access line at a lower edgeof the opening.
 5. The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim1, wherein the height of the dispenser opening at least one end edge isless than five times a thickness of an article accommodated in thecarton.
 6. The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 1,wherein the height of the dispenser opening at at least one end edge isless than three times a thickness of an article accommodated in thecarton.
 7. The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 1,wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises a first bottom panelspaced from a bottom edge of the carton.
 8. The carton and plurality ofstacked articles of claim 7, wherein the at least one bottom panelcomprises a second bottom panel at a bottom edge of the carton andspaced from the first bottom panel.
 9. The carton and plurality ofstacked articles of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of uprightbase panels foldably connected to the first bottom panel.
 10. The cartonand plurality of stacked articles of claim 9, wherein an access apertureis formed at least in the first bottom panel, the access aperture beingadjacent to the front panel.
 11. The carton and plurality of stackedarticles of claim 10, wherein the access aperture extends into at leastone of the base panels.
 12. The carton and plurality of stacked articlesof claim 11, wherein a bottom edge of the dispenser opening is definedin part by a curved access line adjacent to the access aperture.
 13. Thecarton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 1, wherein a bottomedge of the dispenser opening is defined in part by a curved accessline.
 14. The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 1,further comprising a top panel at least partially closing a top of thecarton.
 15. The carton and plurality of stacked articles of claim 1,wherein the articles have a rectangular plan shape.
 16. The carton andplurality of stacked articles of claim 1, further comprising a viewingaperture in the carton.
 17. The carton and plurality of stacked articlesof claim 1, wherein the carton is formed form paperboard.
 18. A methodof dispensing articles from a carton, comprising: providing a carton,comprising: a front panel; a first side panel; a second side panel; aback panel; at least one bottom panel; and a dispenser opening formed atleast in the front panel, the dispenser opening having a height at eachend of the dispenser opening selected to allow a predetermined number ofarticles from the stack to be pulled through the dispenser opening;providing a plurality of stacked articles in the carton; grasping atleast one article through the dispenser opening; and pulling the atleast one article through the dispenser opening.
 19. The method of claim18, wherein the dispenser opening has a height at least one end edgethat is less than a height of the dispenser opening at a central portionof the dispenser opening.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein graspingthe at least one article through the dispenser opening comprisesgrasping the at least one article through a portion of the dispenseropened defined in part by an access line at a lower edge of thedispenser opening.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein: the at least onebottom panel comprises a first bottom panel spaced from a bottom edge ofthe carton; the at least one bottom panel further comprises a secondbottom panel at a bottom edge of the carton and spaced from the firstbottom panel; an access aperture is formed at least in the first bottompanel, the access aperture being adjacent to the front panel; andgrasping the at least one article through the dispenser openingcomprises grasping the at least one article through the access aperture.22. The method of claim 21, wherein a bottom edge of the dispenseropening is defined in part by a curved access line adjacent to theaccess aperture in the at least one bottom panel.
 23. A carton blank,comprising: a front panel; a first side panel; a second side panel; aback panel; a first bottom panel; a second bottom panel; and a dispenserfeature formed at least in the front panel, the dispenser feature havinga height at each end that is less than a height of the dispenser featureat a central portion of the dispenser feature.
 24. The blank of claim23, wherein the central portion of the dispenser feature is defined inpart by two converging oblique lines.
 25. The blank of claim 23, whereinthe dispenser feature is defined in part by an access line at a loweredge of the feature.
 26. The blank of claim 23, wherein the first bottompanel is foldably connected to a first base panel, the first base panelbeing foldably connected to the back panel.
 27. The blank of claim 26,wherein the second bottom panel is foldably connected to the frontpanel.
 28. The blank of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of basepanels foldably connected to the first bottom panel.
 29. The blank ofclaim 28, wherein an access aperture is formed at least in the firstbottom panel and one of the base panels.
 30. The blank of claim 23,further comprising a top panel.
 31. The blank of claim 23, furthercomprising a viewing aperture formed in one of the side, back or frontpanels.